The mind is fascinating. It can make the body remarkable things. You can do more than you think possible. How? All you need is mental strength.
This bold principle is known as mind over body. First, learn its best benefits. Then, discover the top exercises to practice it. Keep reading to discover the power of mind over body!
Benefits of Mind Over Body:
The medical world has introduced mind-body techniques. What are these techniques? To clarify, mind-body approaches are ways to improve health using the link between the mind and body. Notably, evidence shows mind-body approaches have many benefits. In short, these advantages are physical and mental.
Improve Physical Health
Slowing down and listening to your body is hard. As you rush around, it’s easy to look past what your body needs. However, with mind over body techniques, you learn to connect to your body. As a result, you can meet its needs.
Are your muscles sore? Time to stretch. Are you having stomach pain? Then, change your diet. All of these small things add up to big overall physical health benefits.
Stress is a product of the mind. However, over time it affects the body. To be sure, chronic stress can cause many physical issues. Some examples are insomnia, headaches, high blood pressure, heart disease, and muscle strain. In summary, all of these symptoms decrease from mind-body techniques. Additionally, studies show the immune system may improve due to meditation habits.
Improve Mental Health
Mind-body exercises also impact mental health. Learning to control your breathing and heart rate lowers stress. As a result, symptoms of stress will drop. Therefore, you will feel less tired, anxious, sad, or moody. Controlling stress leads to better sleep. Notably, less stress means you can focus more. In turn, this will boost your relationships, career, and goals.
Mind-body tactics are becoming a widespread complementary practice to help stem depression and anxiety. 50% of adults use complementary approaches to help treat these mental woes. As you can see, mindfulness is powerful. Further, when mixed with yoga or tai chi, it can ease signs of depression.
Next, take a look at the best exercises to achieve these physical and mental benefits.
Mind Over Body Exercises:
Mindfulness Meditation
Overthinking is your worst enemy. On the other hand, a calm mind is key to owning your health. It’ll also lead you to your goals. So, how can you achieve a quiet mind? Meditate!
Meditating brings your mind peace and clarity. There are many types of meditation—for example, body scans, guided, zen, mantra, and more. In general, each one intends to mold your state of mind.
You can hire a teacher to guide you in one of these practices. However, it’s easy to find resources online to help you begin meditating. It doesn’t require special equipment and is best started with just five minutes daily.
Visualization
Visualizing is common among athletes. It’s a simple exercise with profound effects. So, how is it defined? Visualizing is forming an image in your mind. Generally, that image is the goal you want to reach.
You can imagine your body doing things it can’t do now. Eventually, this process leads you to your physical goal. It’s a stunning example of how the mind affects the body. Healthcare workers use this technique to help people with chronic stress and anxiety.
Think of visualizing as training your brain to succeed. By doing so, you create neural patterns over time. So, how is it done? First, decide if you want to picture the outcome or the process. Do you want to see yourself on top of the mountain or detail every step? Or both? Then, write down what you intend to visualize.
Next, sit in a quiet space. Close your eyes. Clear your mind. Allow the image of you reaching your goal to come to mind. The trick is to incorporate all five senses. What does it smell like? Sound like? What emotions rise in your throat? Take five minutes to immerse yourself in this vision. Practice this daily.
Take it from these celebrities who live and thrive by visualization:
- Lebron James, NBA basketball start
- Michael Phelps, 28-time Olympic medalist
- Alex Honnald, free solo rock climber
- David Goggins, former Navy Seal, and ultramarathoner
Yoga and Tai Chi for Mind Over Body
Yoga and tai chi blend gentle movements with meditation. Yoga’s popularity is booming. Mainly, it’s growing among people with goals to increase their health. Yoga and tai chi are best practiced in group classes by skilled teachers. However, you can also practice it on your own at home.
Your muscles will stretch and grow from yoga. Your mind will also be calmer. Yoga movements are in sync with the breath, promoting relaxation. It helps both your body and mind be grounded in the present moment. Soon, the hardest of yoga poses will be reachable with practice. This idea shows how mind-body coordination can lead to physical improvement.
Tai chi uses slow, controlled body motions. Therefore, its effect is similar to yoga. One of the top ideas of tai chi is to be mindful of your body and its energy. That’s what makes this exercise a mind-body approach.
How can you start doing tai chi? You can surely learn tai chi from books or videos. However, to further grow your skills, finding a teacher or class near you is best.
Conclusion
Now you know how powerful mind over body is. You learned how mental strength could affect physical and cognitive functions. And with a few essential exercises, now you’re equipped to seize those benefits. It’s time to get started!
Have you ever used one of these mind over body techniques? If so, which one? Share your experience in the comments below!
